Throughout history, slurs have been born into, abused and ultimately retired from our lexicon. Some have been all but erased from use for the hatred they embody. Others have been adopted, co-opted or simply lost their meaning. Calling someone “yellow” as an allusion to their cowardice is hardly the “fightin’ word” it used to be. Calling someone “queer” today is at best a misappropriated insult shared between non-queer friends, and, at worst, a non sequitur (yes, I am — what of it?).

“Gay” once meant “happy,” then was eventually distorted into a slur toward homosexual men and/or men of so-called questionable masculinity. While “gay” has been co-opted and taken ownership of by those it identifies, in recent years, a new “slur” of sorts has crept into our vernacular. Enter the “bro.”

Unlike the vaunted “douchebag,” “bro” as it’s used now is distinct in that it singles out a very particular kind of person. Anyone, male or female, can be a douchebag (though it’s typically men), but only a certain kind of guy gets denounced as a “bro.” When did being a “bro” become such an undesirable thing? When did bros go bad?

Defining exactly what is and what isn’t a modern “bro” isn’t easy. The now-defunct broslikethissite.com paints a certain kind of picture, one of privileged white males who defy authority, drink to excess and treat women as disposable objects. The problem with that depiction is that it’s satirical and only exacerbates the worst qualities of a select few people for entertainment value, and it’s too narrow in scope. After all, men who can be classified as “bros” come from all walks of life, not just the trust fund set. Aside from the prototypical frat bro, the world is full of hipster bros, political bros, redneck bros and bros who participate in every sport imaginable. What, then, defines the bros that society has grown to hate?

Speaking generally, “bro” is used to describe a man who’s arrogant, selfish and lacks all sense of accountability. Additionally, the dividing line between bro and buffoon is that, hard as it may be to admit, the bro usually has some characteristic that in some small way justifies his persona. The coworker who brags about his expensive clothes, never seems to be at work and is useless when it comes to team assignments is not a bro.

On the other hand, the coworker who quietly wears nice clothes, brags about how wasted he got the night before or the girl he was out with, yet still manages to be a top performer — he is definitely a bro. Maybe it’s natural good looks, talent at a sport or job, or, yes, personal wealth. In every case, a bro has something going on that forces you to acknowledge his value to society and, for them, completely justifies any and all actions regardless of the consequences.

So, yeah, I get why bros probably aren’t everyone’s favorite people, but when exactly did they go from being a tolerated subset of society to full-blown pariahs? When did it go from “You probably want to avoid the rooftop at Tonic East — it’s full of bros” to “Ugh, I hate these stupid douchebag bros” (after about 20 minutes on the rooftop at Tonic East, is probably the answer)? In part, the nation is experiencing a significant cultural shift regarding the mainstream vs. more “alternative” cultures.

In the post-9/11 aughts, our culture was one of pride, excess and a laissez-faire sensibility — all qualities associated with bros. In short, it was cool to be a hard-raging, conspicuous asshole. This was America, after all. Land of the free, greatest country in the world, etc. I recall my friend and I successfully installing a television and a kiddie pool on his apartment building’s rooftop (we filled the pool by running a hose from his kitchen sink, through the hallway and up a bunch of stairs). When we phoned a lady friend to invite her over, her response was “Sweet, bros, how’d you get your 4Runner up there to blast some Dave Matthews?” It was a different time, for sure.